Roads Uncharted

Ahead of the group is a set of five tunnels, splayed out like fingers on a hand. Rou tries to discern which way to go, and for some reason feels the tunnel second to the right is the best choice. The group decides to camp, rather than continue further, and after some discussion, they decide to sleep where they can keep an eye on all the tunnels.

Eight attempts to make food paste, but it makes a loud noise and while it’s edible, it’s not palatable. It’s very wet and the noise of the conjuration echoes in the tunnels. While Rou and Arthas sleep, Eight hears scratching in the dark and follows the noise. They see something furry escape through a crack in the wall. Unable to get a better look, they resume their watch through the rest of the night.

Morning comes and Eight makes hard-boiled eggs and conjures their first chicken with encouragement from their companions. After the chicken fades from existence an hour later, Rou feels hot breath on his ear and Arthas notices a rock fall along the cave walls. While examining a fissure in the wall, he expresses his concern about the stability of the tunnels. The group continues down the tunnel until they come to some stairs.

Arthas is first to go up the steps and it slowly gets smaller and smaller, until he becomes lodged. Suddenly, he feels what seems like a small dagger against his throat which triggers his instinct to fight. 

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, and Wren @ThornyDryad

Transcript by CJ Kallevig

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Returning from what may be his final hunt, Arthas joins his clan in a celebration. Tomorrow he begins his apprenticeship under the Aerir, the elder who is responsible for maintaining and remembering the histories of the Giant-kin. Unlike his friends and family, however, the celebration holds no joy for Arthas.

Just as a storm begins to roll in, Arthas hears the sound of metal clanging and hoofbeats clapping against the stone. Heading up toward the cave where his people dwell, Arthas sees a man riding a strange beast. This man, named Yancy, claims to be a knight and asks for food and shelter from the storm. Yancy is granted leave to stay until the storm passes, and Arthas is anxious to learn all about the wide world beyond his cave. What he and Yancy discuss alters the course of Arthas’s future.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax and Wren @ThornyDryad

Transcript by Dax

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Rou rejoins Eight and Arthas and updates them about a secret tunnel that will lead them to Kidohlva. If they wish to take this option, they are to meet the clerk at The Purple Plum, a restaurant to the south of town, around supper time. Anticipating how cold it might get underground, Arthas buys some small barrels of animal fat but leaves three on the street “free to a good chef”.

Outside The Purple Plum, the young woman stands there wearing a dark cloak. She appears nervous, but leads them around the corner and down an alley, away from prying eyes and ears. She proposes to lead them to where the supply caravans go to enter the underground tunnels and warns them that it is potentially dangerous and civilians aren’t normally allowed down there. She also requests they keep her involvement a secret since she could lose her job for showing them how to get in. As compensation for her risk, she wants a book called The Gilded Rose.

The trio is brought to a warehouse where they are then led into the tunnels through a trapdoor. Rou smells sandalwood and lily, very faintly, but opts not to share this with the others. Eventually, the tunnel splits into five, and the group is left wondering which way they should go.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, and Wren @ThornyDryad

Transcript by CJ Kallevig

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Eight, Arthas and Rou wander the streets in the rain, which are relatively quiet compared to the day before. The first thing they find is an old, ramshackle building with a sign that says “Airship Museum”. Deciding to check it out, they find it is not quite what they expected. 

As they leave the museum, they run into a woman whom Eight calls Mina - now known as Sarah - who takes them to lunch at a nice café nearby. She carries a small chihuahua named Charlie, who has mixed feelings about his owner’s dining companions. While Eight and Sarah catch up, she reveals that the route to Kidohlva will be closed for the next six months as it is too dangerous.

The group heads to the welcome center, hoping that another route may be available to them. A young girl there offers Rou an alternative but asks that they meet her outside of The Purple Plum around 6 when she is off work. 

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, and Wren @ThornyDryad

Transcript by CJ Kallevig

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Arthas meets a young man named Robert, who wants his autograph, who hands over a flyer from yesterday’s fight. Arthas tells the young man to wait while he goes and obtains assistance from Rou and Eight. When he returns, the young man provides Arthas with his newest title - the Triumphant of Azarra.

The proprietor shares that he needs them to leave for the day, at least until 4 pm, so that he can do his weekly cleaning. While Eight is outside in the stables gathering their things, Rou takes advantage of the situation to learn more about Arthas. Eventually, he asks about the knight from whom Arthas learned and Arthas shares the compendium he carries with him. Rou flips through the book and sees the picture of the youth with the sword and the stone, but has a hard time placing where he has seen that image before. 

When Arthas turns the tables and begins to question Rou on his past, the two learn they can both commiserate on stifling family members, and how it is hard to deal with those that choose your future for you. Realizing Eight has been gone for some time, they head outside to find Eight has been busy cleaning the stables. They gather their gear and set off into the rain, to wander the city and explore.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, and Wren @ThornyDryad

Transcript by Wren

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Content warning: As a general content warning, this episode includes scenes of magical restraint and interrogation. If this type of content may be triggering for you, we request you skip from 8:38 to 27:03.

The group decides to interrogate Aerin Vess, to see if they can discover any connection between him and Jane. Believing ambushing him in his room is the best course of action, Eight poses as room service in order to gain entry. When they do, Eight is able to compel Vess to let the group in. Prostrate and under restraint, Vess becomes subject to the group’s questioning.

Francis begins the interrogation and Vess, in an attempt to redirect the questioning, implies that he and the inspector have more in common than Francis may like to admit. Rou then asks into the nature of why he is leaving town, to which Vess responds it is to procure wine for Francis. Eight becomes suspicious and turns their questioning to the inspector, who quickly waves this off. He indicates that the town guard serves the will of the nobility and as a member, he indirectly serves Vess’s master.

Despite their best efforts, the interrogation begins to go poorly as Vess seeds doubt in the group’s minds. Eight, in particular, seems to be taking it the hardest. However, it isn’t until he threatens Rou that Eight makes a swift end to the questioning.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad, and Josh @JoshuaMSimons

Transcript by Wren

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

We join our party just as they sit down to dinner at The Overlook Inn. Most of the individuals Arthas saw earlier in the day are still there, but the individual he had questioned is gone. There is now a chipper young woman, named Noura, acting as the server. The “menu” is as questionable as the establishment and consists of a single option. The group is hesitant until smiling Noura shares that all the food is freshly made by her, including a dessert she calls “creme brully”.

Inspector Francis orders the oldest bottle of wine and Noura returns with a pleasant surprise - a nicely aged Baukoran wine. He is quick to share with Rou, who gets a little lesson in wine tasting as well. The surprises continue as the group enjoys a delicious vegetable stew, fresh-baked bread, and that homemade dessert. 

During dinner, a finely dressed individual, with a small tattoo behind his right ear, comes into the inn. Rou overhears him tell Noura that he plans to leave town tomorrow, which piques the group’s interest. When Rou approaches he learns, through an uncomfortable conversation, that his name is Aerin Vess. Upon hearing this, Francis shares some startling details about Vess that suggest he could be the murderer.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad, and Josh @JoshuaMSimons

Transcript by CJ Kallevig

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Art and Rou follow a suspicious, unnamed individual who leads them to The Overlook Inn. Arthas heads inside to find out more about them while Rou keeps watch from the building’s exterior. When Arthas begins to question the man they followed, he suggests they should be careful who they trust. When he implies Francis might be a crooked detective, Arthas and Rou rush back to the medical tent in case Eight is in trouble.

Meanwhile, Eight learns from Margot the description of the man who gave her the poison, but shares that she doesn’t know his name. As the conversation continues, Eight becomes upset and attempts to intimidate her by applying pressure to her wrist. When she starts to scream, Francis convinces her to follow him to the station where questioning can be done in private. Ashamed of their actions, Eight hides in the medical tent.

Arthas and Rou arrive to see a crowd dissipating but no Eight or Francis in sight, and they hear from a bystander that Eight had hurt some woman. They find Eight in the medical tent, alone. Rou comforts Eight after they share how they have reinforced the negative perspectives about their kind. Eight refuses to go to the station, but encourages Rou and Arthas to go.

Rou and Arthas arrive in time for them to overhear Margot telling Francis that the individual that gave her the vial had a small tattoo on the fleshy area between the thumb and forefinger. Arthas shares what he learned from the man he followed, to which Francis has an “easy explanation”. They decide to continue the investigation at The Overlook Inn, making sure to grab Eight on the way.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad and Josh @JoshuaMSimons

Transcript by Wren

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

The Inspector shares the meaning behind the fingerprint he found and explains that the next step in the investigation is to conduct interviews. The group concurs this is the logical next step and begins to organize and prioritize their list of suspects. Eight recommends they should also compare this fingerprint to Jane, to make sure she didn’t intend to poison someone else and failed.

When they return to the medical tent, they see that a young woman is outside talking to a medical worker. She is in tears, saying that she served the pie and doesn’t understand how this could have happened. As the group questions her, Arthas spies a suspicious individual quickly leaving the area. He decides to pursue them in case there is a connection.

Although Rou is not convinced of the young woman’s innocence, he decides to follow Arthas when the Giant-Kin leaves abruptly. Eight and Inspector Francis are left to finish questioning the young woman, and Eight is able to learn something very important from her.

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad and Josh @JoshuaMSimons

Transcript by Wren

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Arthas rejoins Eight and Rou, who are saddened by the news of Jane’s passing. The group meets Inspector Francis Broussard, a Tiefling that works with the town guard, who tells them he is investigating her murder. The Inspector agrees to allow the party to assist him, so long as they understand they’re still technically suspects, and begins to collect evidence.

Eight creates a pipe to mimic Francis and introduces another persona, known as Inspector Nine. Enjoying their enthusiasm, Inspector Broussard then suggests they go to a local tobacconist to get pipes if they feel it will help with the investigation. When they return to the platform where the competition was held, they begin their investigation in earnest. Rou is able to help reconstruct the scene while Francis examines the residue remaining in the pie tin.

Francis is able to discover the type of poison that was used and shares with the group that it would have to be someone who was an assassin or have access to one. Arthas finds a vial on the ground, nearly hidden by the platform, and Eight tests it and confirms that the poison was in the vial. 

Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad and Josh @JoshuaMSimons

Transcript by CJ Kallevig

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!